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Hidden faces, altered perceptions: the impact of face masks on interpersonal perception
Shuai Wang1, Chengyang Han1,2, Zihan Sang1
1Department of Psychology, College of Education, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou, China.
Frontiers in Psychology
|July 7, 2023
Summary
Face masks significantly impact interpersonal perception, hindering facial recognition and expression interpretation. Interestingly, masks can alter attractiveness judgments, making less attractive faces more appealing and vice versa.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Social Psychology
- Perception Science
Background:
- The COVID-19 pandemic normalized mask-wearing globally.
- This widespread use necessitates understanding its impact on social interactions and perception.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate how mask-wearing affects interpersonal perception.
- To analyze the influence of masks on face identification, expression recognition, attractiveness judgments, trust, and speech perception.
Main Methods:
- Review of findings on mask effects on various perceptual tasks.
- Analysis of how obstructed facial cues (especially lower face) influence social judgments.
Main Results:
- Masks impede face identification and expression recognition, particularly affecting lower facial features.
- Masks can enhance the perceived attractiveness of less attractive faces while diminishing the appeal of more attractive ones.
- Effects on trust and speech perception remain inconclusive.
Conclusions:
- Masks introduce significant alterations to interpersonal perception.
- Future research should explore individual differences in mask-influenced social perception.
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